


Time is Ticking On (and so we must be gone)

by wheredwellthe_brave_atheart



Series: Out of This Dull World [3]
Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-17
Updated: 2014-05-17
Packaged: 2018-01-25 10:05:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1644836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheredwellthe_brave_atheart/pseuds/wheredwellthe_brave_atheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the aftermath of "The Great Techno Crash" and the events of The Last Guadian, the world is moving ever forward, and Artemis and Holly do the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time is Ticking On (and so we must be gone)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Artemis Fowl world, created by Eoin Colfer. I do not claim ownership over the word or any characters used. I am not profiting in any way from this work, it is my own invention and for entertainment only, and it is not purported to be a part of Eoin Colfer’s official story line. 
> 
> And on a less serious note, I am just so eternally grateful to Eoin Colfer for his magnificent series. After growing up with these stories by listening exclusively to the audiobooks narrated by the amazing Nathaniel Parker, I at long last decided to write this as a tribute of sorts to these beautiful characters. Thank-you for Butler, Juliet, Foaly, Mulch, Angeline, Artemis I, Minerva, the twins, Vinyaya, Trouble, Opal, and, of course, for Artemis and Holly. 
> 
> This story is canonical with The Last Guardian, except for Holly and Artemis’s relationship. This is my attempt to write what would have happened if their relationship ended differently in the books. So this is sort of an in-between-the-lines kind of story, with some slight alterations to canon events. 
> 
> Thank-you for reading! Reviews are much loved.

"Tell Foaly to power up the chrysalis. And give him this from me." Artemis leaned down and kissed Holly's forehead gently.

The young man then seemed to hesitate, as if teetering on the verge of speech, before he steeled himself, exhaling slowly. 

His next words were soft. 

"But this one is for you, and you alone, Holly."

And he kissed Holly again, but this time on her lips, the same way she had kissed him two (ten) years ago in Rathdown Park, when she had poured her magic into him and had wept with relief at his survival.  
Holly's tears rolled thick and fast now, streaming down her face as Artemis stood and left the room, and she couldn't even turn to watch him go.

...

In the awful intermediate period - the days that had followed the return of Artemis Senior and Angeline to Fowl Manor; when Juliet, Beckett, Myles, and Butler were all still recovering from their various ordeals, when the house felt soaked in grief, and bruised from the absence of the eldest son - Holly had managed to excuse herself from the initial emergency response days in Haven in order to fully explain things to the Fowl family. She had met Angeline and her husband on the Tarmac when their emergency bio-grade helicopter had flown them home from London mere hours after Artemis's death. But to explain the true and whole story of the past four (eleven) years took many days. That first awful afternoon and night was spent revealing to Artemis Sr her identity, and her role in his sons' life (and helping him come to terms with it); relaying the account of the past twenty-or-so hours - not only that of their own family but of the entire Earth; and, of course, informing the desperate parents of Artemis's fate. Angeline had known the moment she had seen Holly, standing soldier-stiff, helmet in hands on the landing strip outside Dublin Airport. She had known, and she had not stopped in her tracks, had not broken down into tears, but had instead dragged her husband to Holly, demanding details and explanations and options. Heartbreak had been stamped across the couples' features - heartbreak that was made all the more terrible by the knowledge that they had suffered in this precise manner five years previously.

Holly managed to choke out a few words before she was forced to stop to regain control. "Your son- Artemis, he- we tried..." But she didn't know where to begin.

...

The following morning, after Holly had slept curled like a cat on the sofa in Butlers' wrecked dojo apartments, she went back to continue the previous nights' meeting with the Fowls. Making her way gingerly through the house, Holly was gasping for air, drowning in reminisces.  
'I always hated the pictures there - thank Frond they've had the sense to take them down', remembering the eerie portraits of dour Fowls from previous generations.

'I lay there dying, beside an armor-wearing, mace-wielding, unconscious Butler' - passing the corner of the main hall with an ancient tapestry hung on the wall.

'I brought a mind-wiped Artemis back here after Julius was killed' - stopping on the stairs that led to the upper floor. 'I sat in that corner and tried to convince him of who I was. Who he was.'

Upon reaching the floor where the family's bedrooms were, Holly was forcibly reminded of flying at top speed from Helsinki Harbour to arrive at the Manor, intent on healing Angeline, summoned by an urgent plea from Artemis.

'Angeline, lying sick and dying... Artemis, paler than ever, cursing, guilty, close to breaking down...' No. 1 in flowery robes, posing as a red-headed child. He had laughed as Holly and Artemis were forced to hold hands in their underwear, preparing to jump time...Holly found herself having to suppress a laugh as well, remembering the unfortunate shade of Artemis's boxers, and then sobered, feeling guilty.

She gathered herself and knocked on Artemis's parents' bedroom door.

...

Artemis Sr. and Angeline were sitting in their kitchen, hands identically wrapped around mugfuls of Earl Grey, their gazes fixed on Holly as she pieced together the events of the last years. She had just come to the part about "jumping out of a Japanese high-rise and being sucked into an alternate dimension along with Artemis and two daemon warlocks" when she had faltered, registering the incredible bizarreness of her tale.

"I know this will take some getting used to," she said, hesitantly. "But the important thing to think is that if Arty could accomplish all this..." And once more she left her thought unfinished, unsure of how far to stretch their faith.

Angeline looked up at her suddenly. "You called him Arty?"

Holly was taken aback, not expecting this question. "Er- yes. I did. I do. Sometimes. Well...for quite a while, now, actually."

Angeline seemed to savour this piece of information more than the stories of various escapades Holly continued with.

...

"Artemis-" Holly took a steadying breath before continuing on. Mere minutes back in Haven; she swayed on her feet with exhaustion. "Artemis may have a plan. I have a message from him to you. He said... Something about the chrysalis? That you were to power it up?"

These words had a powerful effect on Foaly. "Yeah? That's it? Did he give you anything?"

Holly would have blushed if under different circumstances. If Artemis's last, desperate chance for life had not been at stake. If the rest of her life, her future, had not been at stake. So instead she lifted her chin and said clearly, "He kissed me, and he told me to give it to you, actually." She stretched up to kiss Foaly's forehead.

...

"You know," Foaly frowned as he trotted into her make-shift office, weeks later, "I've been thinking a lot about Orion, lately. Telling Caballine all about ‘im. Remember how he used to spout all that "my sword for thee, my fair princess" trap, and proclaim his undying love for you at annoyingly persistent intervals?"

"Ye-es?" Holly drummed her fingers impatiently on her new desk. Between No.1 being up on the moon with Qwan and Qwefor; Trouble being charged with rescue and rebuilding as she was; and Mulch (Frond bless him) being busy gathering tribe members for his newly-reinstated Dwarf Troll-Riders Brigade, she really hadn't been practicing her conversation skills lately. "What's your point, Foaly?"

"Well, it's just, Orion was technically a subconscious aspect of Artemis's personality, brought forth by a severe mental condition and extreme stress. So, he either represented the antithesis of Artemis's personality and emotions, or..." Foaly trailed off, uncertain.

Holly was not in the mood for guesswork. "Or what, Foaly, I've got a lot on my plate today. Huge damage claim put in by the Gnome Bros Developers, major hassle to take care of, and Trouble just found a massive stack of Julius's old cases that could help, so if you don't mind-"

"Okay, okay, okay" Foaly said hurriedly. "It's just, that whole 'professing-eternal-love' thing was either completely the opposite of how Artemis really felt, OR... It's exactly the truth about how he felt."

Holly was looking down at her desk, not moving a muscle.

Foaly decided it would be best to continue with some trademark nervous babbling. "The way he felt about you, I mean. Obviously. I really don't think Artemis actually loved bivouacs that much. Or had any secret birthmarks. I think. Guess we'll see when the clone's ready, right? But about you, I mean, well, I'm just amusing it's not the opposite of how he felt, because he didn't hate you, clearly, so... Right. I- yeah."

Holly took several slow breaths before responding. "Okay, thanks for letting me know. Now, I really do have to see about these developers, so I'll talk to you later, yeah?" And she shuffled the centaur out of her office, closing the door carefully behind him. But Foaly lingered just long enough to make out shaky words that were most definitely not part of a video call to the insurance department.

...

The cloned Artemis looked weak, and even more drained of colour than usual. After a few moments, his eyes were still closed, without so much as a flicker of movement, a hint of any life. 

But Holly had had enough of waiting. So she tried another tactic. She leaned down over the prone body of her greatest friend and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Please, Arty," she pleaded quietly. "I couldn't do without you."  
She sat with bated breath.

"Well, alright then. Okay. Some advanced warning would've been nice?" interjected Foaly unhelpfully. "Maybe just a quick 'heads up', or a even a little 'hey-everyone-I'm-just-about-to-kiss-"

"Quiet," said Butler. "It's not important right now."

"Right," said Foaly, merely background noise to Holly. "'Cause it's totally unimportant when your oldest friend goes and just-" but he stopped talking when he noticed the sudden rise and fall of Artemis's chest.

"Artemis," they all gasped simultaneously.

The youth's eyes fluttered open, and Holly was astounded - and, if she was being honest, glad - to see that they were still mismatched. 'How is that even possible?' she wondered, before shoving the thought away to ask frantically, "Artemis, Artemis, are you in there?".

Artemis's face showed nothing but confusion and shock. "Stay...back," he said, carefully. "You... you don't know what you're dealing with!"

It was clear that his faculties had not entirely returned to him, and that he did not yet remember them (her).

"Arty, it's us. It's okay. You're okay." Holly shook with grief, exhaustion, and relief (love).

...

The next few days were spent quietly at Fowl Manor, whereon his arrival home Artemis's parents had been woken by Holly and led cautiously to his bedroom. At the sight of their supposedly deceased teenage son sitting upright in his favourite chair, smiling ruefully, Angeline had proceeded to clench her husband's arm and pass a hand over her face.

"Timmy, am I dreaming?" It was barely more than a whisper.

Her husband looked as though he was feeling the pain of losing his limb all over again. "No, my darling. No, this is real. Our boy is real." He and Angeline walked dazedly to embrace their son. 

And Foaly, who was waiting in the foyer, muttered something about how technically he maybe wasn't real, as clones are not supposed to exist, and anyway with so many time jumps and healings and now body-switchings it was a miracle the cosmos hasn't decided to just go ahead and erase his existence for simplicity's sake; but Holly had had the foresight to mute her helmet, so the family's reunion went uninterrupted.

...

Over those next few days, Artemis spent a drastic portion of time sleeping. Or to be more specific, Artemis spent a drastic portion of time sleeping while Holly lay beside him, her stories going unbroken with each flicker of his eyelids and change in his level of consciousness; as Butler hovered by the doorway of whatever room they happened to be in; and as Beckett and Myles tried unsuccessfully to resist meandering past Butler into said room (because who could blame them for wanting to spend time with this simple-toon of a brother who once again had some very interesting stories to tell).

...

In the aftermath of what was consistently being referred to as "The Great Techno Crash", life was altering its course; weaving and undulating around new (old) obstacles to surge forth once more. And the same could be said for the residents of Fowl Manor; many aspects of their lives had changed, and yet they each still found ways to hold fast to their core principles (and in the case of the Butler siblings this was quite literally the case). Unsurprisingly, one of the things Artemis was the most grateful to still have in his possession was the gold coin Holly had given him four (seven) years ago. Juliet had been by his bedside on the third morning after his revival when he had shot bolt upright (reminiscent of No. 1 when tempted with sim coffee) to groan, "It's with my body, isn't it?"

Needless to say they had enlisted some sprites from a Retrieval squad to, well, retrieve the coin from the grave on one of Fowl Manor's hilltops. No one else felt capable of the task. Holly steadfastly refused, hand shooting up to latch onto Artemis's shoulder; the Butler siblings gave twin shudders and shook their heads frantically (Juliet stating that she had "too many nightmares of creepy fairy ghosts as it is"); and Foaly shuffled his hind legs and coughed before suggesting the enlistment of a more neutral, less-emotionally-involved third party. And even still, the Retrieval officers spoke in hushed tones and were actually caught discussing vampires more than once in the days that followed the assignment.

...

Butler came to check on Artemis on the fourth day of his revival, only to discover his young charge sitting upright in his bed, surrounded by papers and hard at work on his laptop.

"Artemis," Butler asked in his deep tones, "What could you possibly have to work on? You've only been alive for three days."

Artemis smiled sheepishly. "I know, Butler. It's just, I woke up when the phone rang- it was Minerva, by the way. She said she had waited to call until she could be certain I would remember the conversation, and I'm glad she did, we had a wonderful talk - and I realized there's so much to be done! The Earth is moving forward, old friend, and healing, but there is still so much damage, and much to be rebuilt. In Ireland alone there are many important projects that require my attention. Not to mention the rest of the world, and especially Haven and Atlantis. It is my responsibility to help mend what has been broken."

Butler shook his head, but smiled proudly. "Listen to you. You've been back in this life for half a week and you're already eager to flex that big brain of yours. Just remember to take it easy. It's no good wearing yourself out. You're technically a newborn, after all. Not much of an immune system, I'd wager."

Artemis sighed in defeat and closed the lid of his laptop, shuffling his papers together to place them on his table. "You're right, of course, my friend. I'll take a break." He then added in a tone that was trying extremely hard to be casual, "Do you know where Holly is? I woke up at the quarter hour and she wasn't here."

Butler bit his cheek to prevent himself from grinning at the obvious anxiety in his young voice. "Don't worry, Artemis. She's just in the kitchen. She went to find something to eat and Miles and Beckett cornered her. They've been talking with her for the past half hour. They find her pretty fascinating." 'Must be a Fowl boy trait,' Butler thought wryly.

Artemis looked relieved at this information. "Oh," he said, nodding. "Good.

...

After about six or seven days following his return, Artemis was almost fully operational, habitually taking short walks around the extensive Fowl grounds with the protective companionship of Holly. She had -totally unconsciously, of course - taken to studying his profile as they did so. He was older than he'd been when he had died; around eighteen or nineteen by Foaly's estimation. No longer was he a boy with the promise of a man hinting in his features- he was an adult; his jaw stronger and his face sharper, signaling the loss of any lingering child-like roundness to his distinct profile. He was taller than before, rivaling his father in height, with broader shoulders narrowing to the same slim waist.

Holly couldn't help but think about her friend, this once-frightened, cruel young boy transformed into the determined, selfless man before her. For he was a man now.

'He saved us all," Holly thought, watching Artemis gaze across the garden fondly. 'So many times.'

She was wrong. He'd been a man long before he had died and returned grown.

...

On the first (thousandth) morning he had decided to put on a tie, Holly had come into his bedroom to find him sitting on the side of his bed, with his shirt uncharacteristically wrinkled, his tie still loose, and his sleeves actually rolled up, for Frond's sake. Holly felt she had no choice but to go for their usual -witty banter.

"Dear gods," she mock-crooned. "Artemis Fowl is finally dressed, and he dares to besmirch the occasion by sitting down, getting his precious clothes all wrinkled! Not to mention rumpled, and untucked, and-" But Holly broke off, and seemed suddenly fascinated by the intricate oak leaf patterning of the carpet.

Artemis, who was sitting with his hands clasped, his elbows resting on his knees, had of course looked up from his apparent meditative state when his friend had entered the room, but seemed to still be at a loss for words, and merely smiled at Holly's ribbing. A silence hung over the pair, the first since Artemis's return. It was broken by Holly, who was attempting to brazen it out.

"Well, Arty, what's on the schedule for today, huh?" She asked as she flopped onto Artemis's favourite Louis XVI armchair. "Dojo? Marathon? Skydiving? Got to get you back in the world of the living, haven't we?"

This time, Artemis was unable to resist commenting. "Well," he chuckled, "I'm not sure skydiving is exactly the way to go about reinstating me among the living. Come to think of it, none of those activities seem designed to ensure my continued existence."

Holly waved a hand dismissively. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Arty," she said. "You're capable of fitness when you must be. You've run from plenty of things in your time. Crickets, ducks, and bunnies, most recently, but still. "

Artemis sighed dramatically. "The way I remember it, there have been quite a few more instances of us racing for our lives, and quite a few more enemies than just magical wildlife, if you care to recall."

Holly counted, ticking them off on her fingers as she went. "Goblins, trolls, demons, fairy police, Russian mafia, American businessmen, bio bombs, French security guards, mad hit men, gorillas, caged Extinctionists, Martian probes, deep-sea dwellers, disembodied spirit warriors, and, of course, one meglo-maniacal pixie. Think that about covers it?"

Artemis took in this considerable list. "Well, you did include more animals, and I'm sure there were several separate instances of mad hit men hunting me, but overall I am impressed with that succinct summary, Captain Short."

"And you think I'm not smart enough to keep up."

"Never."

There came another lull in the conversation - Artemis chose to spend the time taking in his enjoyable surroundings. His own room, though comfortably lit by mid-morning sunlight and filled with his books, articles, computers, and gadgets, held no sway over his train of thought - instead he remained entirely focused on the elf sitting opposite him, lounging in his favourite antique French amoir, with her boots hiked up and resting on one of the pristine arms as she watched the birds flying past his open window. 

'Like I said,' he thought,'Magical. She is truly captivating. She always has been. Why is this so difficult to accept?'

As if reacting in response to his mental pondering, Holly suddenly averted her gaze from the window, and her eyes wheeled around the room before coming to rest on his own. Well, one of his own, and one of hers, to be precise.

"I still wonder how that happened," Artemis continued his thinking aloud. "How do I still have your eye? By all logic it shouldn't be possible. My DNA contains the information necessary for two blue eyes, after all. And I died because of the magic in my body. So how does your hazel eye remain with me?"

Holly snorted and sat upright. "You sacrificed yourself to stop a fairy-tale creature from wiping out all human life with the aid of millennia-old earth magic, stayed on this plane as a disembodied soul for six months, cloned yourself, and came back from the dead, and you're worried about logic?"

They both laughed at this, Holly's lighter tones blending with Artemis's slightly deeper chuckles. 

'Mesmerizing,' Artemis couldn't help but think. He collected himself enough to reply "Yes, I suppose you're right. Like you so aptly said; I-"

"Think too much," Holly chimed in to finish simultaneously. She smiled for a few moments before saying, in a much softer and more serious manner, "You don't mind, do you? Because if you do, I'm sure Foaly would be able to inject blue dye to match, and I could resize it some more-"

But she was cut off by Artemis saying "Why on Earth would it bother me, Holly? I'm grateful to whatever fluke allowed me to keep your eye. I wouldn't feel right without it now."

Holly seemed caught off guard - a rare occurrence indeed. Artemis chose to jog her memory.

'We'll always be a part of each other', remember? I couldn't bear to give that up."

"Really?" Holly wasn't looking at him. She was once again thoroughly engrossed by his 18th century Tunisian rug. Artemis allowed her thirty seconds of avoidance before prompting her. 

"Holly?" he inquired softly.

"Arty," she replied, equally as quiet. 

And then, "Artemis. I... Six months ago, when you said goodbye, when I was drugged, and you told me your real plan, that was... I couldn't do anything, Artemis. You left me, lying frozen on that couch- I was supposed to go with you. It's always been us together, it was never supposed to be you fighting alone. But I couldn't go..." Holly took a shuddering breath. "I didn't sleep for days, you know. I kept thinking... I kept hoping... And then when Foaly was growing the clone, he mentioned a... theory, something about Orion, but I didn't want to hope any more than I already was. I couldn't afford to waste what little resolve I was holding on to... And then when we actually brought out the clone, and called for you, you didn't wake up, and we- And I was... Scared. I was desperate. And... I couldn't bear to lose you again." She had met his eyes by now. Hers sparked with defiance and grief, leftover from the past six months spent battering down pain and guilt and exhaustion. She had leaned forward on the chair, hands gripping the armrests as if resisting the urge to jump up and fly away. "And so, I... I tried something else," she continued."I kissed you."

Holly was dangerously close now. Artemis could smell her unique lemon-and-grass scent, could count the eyelashes brushing along her face. "And I said the same thing I did at Rathdown Park," she whispered, holding his gaze.

And then Artemis, fueled by the kind of courage he generally associated with the elf in front of him, recognized his chance and took it. He leaned in and hooked Holly's chin with one finger, meeting her halfway to press his mouth against hers. Holly reached up and put her hands along his jawline, cradling his head and pulling him closer. After a moment (millennia), she broke apart, resting her forehead against his, to breathe, "I couldn't do without you."

Artemis fought hard to control his shaking voice, but was unsuccessful. "And what makes you think I could survive another minute without you?"

Their lips met again, Holly crawling closer onto the bed, deepening the contact and causing Artemis to respond in kind. Artemis was vaguely aware of Holly tugging at his tie, and dragging her fingers through his hair, but as he was thoroughly engrossed in the sensation of her lips moving in time with his, he chose to do as Holly had so recently suggested and simply not 'think too much'. 

'Magic sparked around the contact like tiny fireworks.'

...

Artemis' head was spinning. He felt as he had when he had first woken up in his new (old) body- disorientated, shocked, out of breath. But he wasn't unfocused. On the contrary, his senses were heightened, and his thoughts, though buzzing around his skull exactly like those thrice-damned crickets, all concerned Holly: the feel of her arms, taunt around his neck; the sound of her quick gasps of breath; the taste of her soft mouth on his; the press of her body, flush against his own. He didn't know how to operate like this- Artemis Fowl II did not rely on his senses and emotions. He was a planner, a strategist, an intellect. He remembered scoffing once at Qwan in their time tunnel; 'Feel your way home, Artemis Fowl'.

But he had done as Qwan had said. He had loved his family, his home, his life. He had allowed his memories of them to fill up his head and rush though his veins, singing under his skin, yanking on his heart. And that's what he was doing now. Holly filled him up; she was like an essence, like liquid gold, racing from his very core to his extremities, burning through him in a way that was not at all painful. The feeling grew more and more intense as time ticked on - instead of abating, it grew stronger and more glorious.

Later, he will try to describe this sensation to her, and her breath will catch and she will reach for him once more as she explains, "That's like magic, Artemis. That's what healing someone feels like, that's what it does," she will whisper, pressing her fingertips hard against his chest, straining to reach through the flesh that creates the barrier between her touch and his heart. "It pulses."

But for now Artemis didn't want to waste any breath describing the experience.

He realized, then, that he will never be able to let her go.  
But, truly, he's known that for years now.

So he kisses her, and it's like falling through time again. Once more, she's the only certain thing in his universe.

...

Artemis Fowl Sr was a man of many talents. He had graduated top form from Eton in his youth, had gone on to head one of Europe's largest criminal empires, and then one of the largest humanitarian ones. He was well-versed in literature, politics, science, business, and economics. He was a karate expert, a lover of cycling, and was currently training for a half-marathon on his bio-hybrid leg. But in all his years of study, travel, and business, he had never accomplished feats close to the kind his eldest son had achieved in the past years.

'Kidnapping a fairy, saving me from the Russian mafia, stopping a destructive revolution led by fire-breathing lizard creatures, stealing technology HE invented back from a half-crazed American businessman, outrunning trolls and traveling along the Earth's crusts, using a bomb to travel through time and space while bringing his friends back from the dead, rescuing his mother as well as an entire species, saving the underwater city of Atlantis after fighting a god-forsaken giant squid while battling a crippling magical-mental disorder, and saving his brothers, Butler, Juliet, and his friends from possession by fairy spirits; all the while outrunning and outwitting a demonic pixie aiming to literally destroy him and everything he holds dear.' 

Artemis Sr took in the dear sight of Fowl Manor bustling with life around him - Angeline playing piano, with Beckett and Myles sword fighting with rolled up sheet music beside her; Juliet practicing martial arts on the back lawn, somehow managing to simultaneously dry her turquoise nail varnish; Butler pacing around the small table that held the board of an on-going chess game, considering his next move - and Artemis and Holly, strolling through the gardens, holding hands and apparently talking quietly. They looked nothing short of magnificently happy.

'Finally' he thought.

He wondered if anyone else had noticed yet. 

'Let them be for a while, I suppose. God knows they deserve it.' 

Artemis Sr paused and once again marveled at his fantastical son. 'The things he's seen. The things he's done...' He thought. 

And then:

'If only he could write a book...'

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed. Reviews would be amazing.


End file.
